


Yozora

by KiraHeartilly



Series: The Many Days of Christmas 2020 [2]
Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Kingdom Hearts References, M/M, Verum Rex (Kingdom Hearts)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:40:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27866254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiraHeartilly/pseuds/KiraHeartilly
Summary: To help promote the Verum Rex video game, Square Enix has released a powerful new Yozora Pin. Now Yammer must search through all the shops in Shibuya if he wants to find one in time for the upcoming Tin Pin Slammer tournament!
Relationships: Implied Shooter/Yammer
Series: The Many Days of Christmas 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040853
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Yozora

**Author's Note:**

> **Pretty gratuitous, self-indulgent with lots of filler, but this is the story I wanted to write.**
> 
> **CW: Characters pushing their limits.**

Yammer sighed as he checked the shelves of the Sheep Heavenly shop at Molco. They had a few pins, of course they did. Most stores sold some form of pins. Even some fast food joints offered them as promotional merch. But they didn’t have the pin _he_ wanted.

“Need help finding something?” asked Anna Aoi, a blonde woman who wore a brightly colored vest. “If you need help picking out a pin we recently stocked in some neat pamphlets that should tell you all you need to know.”

“Thanks,” said Yammer with a frown. His whole body drooped like a deflated balloon. “But these pins aren’t what I’m looking for. I was hoping to find the new _Yozora_ pin they made to promote the Verum Rex game.”

“Oh I’ve seen those online, but I don’t think we have any of those in stock sadly. But I know Tigre Punks has them. My girlfriend is a huge _Verum Rex_ fan and she looked everywhere for them. Good luck finding one!”

“Thank you so much!” Yammer took off like an excited puppy, dashing to the next store.

Anna Aoi could only smile as she watched him. “I guess that game really is popular.”

**~xXx~**

“Sorry kid,” said Nana Majima, a woman with flashy red hair in pigtails. “But we’ve been sold out for weeks now. I couldn’t even get one for myself.” She offered a sympathetic frown. “If you sign up to our newsletter, we can email you when we restock.”

“Thanks, but it’s important that I get ahold of the pin as soon as possible. There’s a Tin Pin Slammer tournament coming up and I need to get this pin before then. Its stats are off the chart! It’s got the highest attack ever, and it has a great set of Whammies! It can stay airborne longer than any other pin which makes it difficult to hit and it has ten helping hands! It’s practically in _pin_ cible.”

Nana grinned at his pun. “Good luck kid, I hope you can find one in time. And good luck in the tournament too.”

**~xXx~**

Yammer didn’t expect a store like Mus Rattus to carry something as expensive as the Yozora pin, but desperate times called for desperate measures and they would not hang up. Mie Suzuki, a very cute woman in a casual sweater, offered her condolences. “I heard that Tigre Punks has the new Yozora pin. Have you tried there?”

“They’re sold out,” Yammer said with a smile.

“That’s terrible,” Mie offered her sympathies. “But Verum Rex is incredibly popular right now. I’m sure if you keep looking you’re bound to find a store with that pin. Don’t give up hope just yet.”

“Don’t worry, I’m going to search this entire city high and low if I have to.”

**~xXx~**

“Sorry, man,” said Tsubasa, biting his lip as he frowned. “You just missed out. We sold our last Yozora pin five minutes ago.” His long white hair flipped with each dramatic gesticulation of his head. “If only you had gotten here earlier.”

“Nooo!” Yammer didn’t want to succumb to despair, but this was a heavy blow.

“Sorry about that man, it’s a total bummer. We have some other Verum Rex merch though, if you’re interested.”

“Thanks, but I’m not even really that into the game. It looks fun, and I’ve watched a few Let’s Plays, but my mom says it’s too violent for me to play. I just really want the pin because it has amazing stats.”

Tsubasa chuckled. “I had a few friends who were into Tin Pin Slammer. I remember when they did that cross promotion with _Miraculous Ladybug._ They were all clamoring for the Mayura pin even though they said they hated the show. They _begged_ me to sell them mine. I told them I loved the series and the character too much to give it up.”

Yammer chuckled. “I remember that promotion. They had a lot of great pins!” The memory cheered him up for a moment, and he almost forgot how desperate he was. He thanked Tsubasa and headed out the door for the next shop.

**~xXx~**

Fumi Gotoda smiled kindly at Yammer as he explained the situation. “Well, I’m not quite sure if we have any Yozora pins in stock, truth be told I’m not much of an expert myself.” He rubbed the nape of his neck, a bit embarrassed at his lack of knowledge. “But these are all our pins. I hope you find something good.”

Yammer gasped in surprise. “You have some really amazing pins here. I never expected to see such a great collection at Mus Rattus. No offense, but your brand isn’t known for being _top of the line,_ so much as it’s known for being cozy. But these are amazing~

“No Yozora though. But I will take this,” he said, placing another pin on the counter. “This will be great for my collection! It might even help me in the tournament.”

**~xXx~**

“Hello, welcome to Everyday Selects,” said HT Masuoka as Yammer walked into the store. “Oh hey, Yammer, nice to see you today, how many I help you?” He spoke with utmost politeness. “Are you shopping for pins today? We just got some really strong ones in.”

Eyes lighting up, Yammer dashed to the counter to check the glass case, but they didn’t have what he needed. “These are all great, but I’ve got them all already. I was hoping to find a Yozora pin.”

“Oh really? I’m not much of a Tin Pin Slammer myself, but I heard those pins are _extremely_ difficult to control. Oh well, good luck finding one.”

Hikaru Koike was an elegant young woman who stood with poise and grace as she welcomed Yammer into Darling Designs. But her words immediately shot him down like a bullet to the heart. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have any Yozora pins.” The question hadn’t even left his mouth and she already had an answer. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear you mentioning it in the store next door.

“Have you tried looking online? That might be faster. I have an app on my phone that can help.” Hikaru unlocked her screen and opened the app, immediately doing a search for the Yozora pin. “Oh, this is unusual,” she said with a frown.

“What’s wrong?” Yammer asked, his heart suddenly dropping.

“It’s such an in demand item that the app is having trouble keeping up. It days ‘pin may or may not be in stock, contact store for details.’ I’m afraid you’ll have to keep searching the old fashioned way.”

Yammer let out a sigh of relief. “That’s okay, I fully intended to anyway.” With renewed vigor he put on a bright smile and continued his search.

**~xXx~**

Snow piled itself on the streets of Shibuya. Yammer had dressed for warmth in a thick sweater, but it wasn’t enough against the cold winds. His face stung, but he marched forward, powering through as his nose went numb.

Yoji Iwata at the music store offered his condolences as Yammer’s journey passed by. He journeyed through the Miyashita Park Underpass, his stomach suddenly growling for food. He prayed the Cat Street café was open for business, but that proved a waste of time. It was closed, just like always.

At least he was able to stop by Urban Images.

“Sorry,” said K1 Okada. “Our shipment never even came in. We tried to place an order but the manufacturers said they couldn’t keep up with supply and demand. That pin is the biggest thing to hit Shibuya since those Red Skulls. Everyone wants them. Even people who have never _heard_ of Verum Rex seem to think Yozora’s hot stuff.

“Sorry you came all this way, bro.”

Yammer raised a fist. “Don’t worry, I’m not giving up until that pin is mine!”

**~xXx~**

“I’ll take a Definitivo Chili Dog and a Cola,” Yammer said as he placed his money on the table. His stomach growled loudly as he took the food from Hideki Kikuchi.

“Something wrong, Yammer?” he asked. “You sound like you’re starving.”

“I’ve just had a busy day, and I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me. I’m looking for something very important, but I can’t find it anywhere. It’s sold out wherever I look.”

“That sounds rough. I hope you can find it.”

**~xXx~**

Yammer hit all four shops of Shibu-Q Heads next. Tatsuya Omura shook his head sadly when he inquired about the pin. “Sorry, I wish I could help. You’re the fifth person asking today. I think all the other floors are sold out too, want me to call and ask?”

“That would be great, thank you.”

“Sorry,” said Tadafumi Sato on the second floor, his voice loud and clear through the speaker phone. “Those pins are a hot commodity. I think Iwata said he couldn’t even find them anywhere in Shibuya.”

“Good luck searching, but as far as I can tell this entire city has been cleaned out. My son kept asking for one but I couldn’t find it,” Shigemori Iwata said with a sigh. “He was so disappointed when I told him.”

“Sorry,” said Fumiko Nishimura of the Pharmacy. “We don’t even stock any pins. But if you’re going to be travelling around the city in this weather, please be careful not to catch a cold.”

**~xXx~**

“Sorry, brah,” said Yosh Ishino. “I tried to get my hands on those pins but no dice. I’ve heard a ton of stores tried and couldn’t get lucky. Good luck kid. We do have the Verum Rex soundtrack though. It _just_ came out, and it even has a new remix of the theme song!”

“Thanks,” said Yammer. But even his optimism was beginning to fade at this point.

Kyo of B-style threads let out a defeated sigh. “Been trying to find one myself. My girlfriend’s a huge Verum Rex fan and I thought I’d surprise her for Christmas, but I haven’t been able to find any. It’s funny, there’s actually a few of us from a bunch of different stores that have been calling each other. _‘Do you have a Yozora pin at your store?’ ‘Nope, I was hoping you’d have one at yours.’”_

“That’s too bad, but thank you for your help,” Yammer forced a smile as he walked back into the cold.

His legs moved like lead, trudging through the snow. Each step felt like a mile. The effort was too much as he doubled back, wondering why fate would curse him like this. But he had to keep going. He couldn’t give up. he needed that pin.

Stopping by the AMX music store, he was able to pick up a CD he’d been hoping to find. “Sorry about the pin, man,” said Masanori Ito.

Yammer offered a polite thank you as he tried to mentally map out the rest of his trip. How many stores did he have left?

**~xXx~**

“Welcome… how may I help you?” asked Jun Odajima of Dragon Couture. The hesitance was obvious, he wasn’t expecting a child to show up in this store. Dragon Couture wasn’t the most expensive store around, but it was high up there. Still, the shop didn’t have what he needed, so there was no reason to hang around.

Up next, another Mus Rattus. The shopkeeper, Tak Kimura, was much friendlier, offering to help Yammer search through their pin collection. They’d recently ordered a bunch of new items, but they were all fairly common- no Yozora pin here.

Feeling a bit cold, he bought some warm fries to warm his stomach. Shigemi Konno, the girl behind the counter, slipped him a few extra with a stealthy wink. He thanked her and headed out to continue his quest, munching on the warm and salty fries. It was just enough to keep him going.

**~xXx~**

Princess K had the day off from Lapin Angelique, but the man working there was just as friendly. Yammer wished he could say the same for Shinta Iwata, but when Yammer didn’t buy anything, the man shooed him out of the store with a menacing growl.

At least Makoto Miki from Shadow Ramen was polite, if a little confused. “Yozora? Sorry, I haven’t heard of that. Is it an anime? We have some Pokémon pins if you’d like to see those,” he said as he pointed to a shelf of Digimon merchandise.

Honestly, Yammer was really starting to question the marketing decisions that led to restaraunts carrying pins in the first place, but he wasn’t about to give up. So he hit the other ramen shop next. “Sorry,” said Ken Doi. “I’ve got a few promotional pins for sale, but nothing as rare as Yozora. “Honestly, I can’t tell what they were thinking, releasing a single pin that powerful. It’s going to throw the whole game off balance.

“Then again, I did hear it’s hard to control. If it takes skill to master it, then at least there’s still some salvation. Good luck mastering it if you do find one, kid.”

Yammer shook his head. “This isn’t for me. It’s for my friend Shooter. He really wanted this pin but his mother took away his allowance for ‘indecent behavior.’ I really want to find this pin and give it to him for Christmas.”

“Oh, I see,” Ken Doi rubbed his head. “Listen kid, they say that Christmas is a time of miracles for those with pure hearts. Don’t worry too much, I’m sure there’s you’ll get your hands on that pin. And your friend is going to love it!”

**~xXx~**

Shibukyu Stationside- the next stop on his map.

Rikako Toda of the Burger Shop wasn’t very much into games and had never even heard of Yozora. Though they did sell a few pins, apparently nobody else in the city felt desperate enough to check there. Yammer almost wanted to stay a little longer. The heat from the kitchen left the shop feeling warm and toasty, and he could smell the fries in the sizzling oil. But he’d already eaten and he still felt full. The last thing he needed was to overstuff himself. It would be hard to move around if he got sick.

Yuu Narumi from Accessory Heaven frowned. “I love Verum Rex, it’s totally Game of the Year for me. Unfortunately my boss didn’t want to spend all that money on a pin she didn’t think would sell. They’re pretty expensive so she was worried about losing profits. I tried to assure her they’d be best sellers, but she didn’t believe me.”

Rayca Hoshi of Pavo Real Stationside tilted her head to the side when he asked. “I think I heard someone mention that one of the shops at the Shibu Department Store had a Yozora pin, but I can’t quite be sure. Sorry I can’t be of more help.”

Hearing the news, Yammer quickly thanked her as he ran out the door. Nearly tripping in the snow, he was quick to steady himself as he continued his race against time~ and the other shoppers. He had to get there quick. No way he’d let anybody else beat him to it! Not when this was his chance to get Shooter the ultimate Christmas gift!

**~xXx~**

As his options dwindled and hope faded, he turned to the Shibu Department Store next. This was his last hope. Shooter’s grandpa owned Herbal Remedies, there was no need to visit. If he had a Yozora pin then Shooter would have already known and already gotten one for free. That left Pegaso Atelier and Bel Airplane, two of the most expensive stores in the city.

Akira Yoshii barely said a word as Yammer stepped in and silently examined the store’s goods. It was another in an out trip, he hated the way some of these shopkeepers stared at him just for being a kid. And now, he was down to one last store.

May Kurokawa at least tried to be nice. “Hello, how can I- oh I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting a child. We don’t have much in a child’s budget, but we do offer a few simple trinkets.” She gestured to a tray of pins. “Is there anything that catches your eye?”

“I was hoping for a rare pin. I’ve been to almost every store in the city, but nobody has them,” Yammer draped himself over a nearby chair, his legs were too exhausted to support him. “But I can’t seem to find any~” his chest heaved and he let out an unexpected yelp. “Whoever came up with the concept of artificial scarcity should be tried for crimes against humanity.”

“Artificial sca- wow, you kids these days sure grow up fast. I’m terribly sorry I couldn’t be of more help. I do hope you’ll find what you’re looking for, but please don’t wear yourself out. You look absolutely exhausted. If you need a break, feel free to stay here for a bit. It’s awfully cold outside and you don’t want to get sick.”

“Thank you, maa’am.” Yammer frowned. He’d already missed out on the pin by mere minutes, if he took too long to rest, it could happen again. But she was right, he was tired. And honestly, he wasn’t even sure there were any stores left to check. _‘I’m pretty sure I’ve hit every shop in Shibuya.’_

He admired the store’s collection of pins from a distance, they were all polished well, sparkling in the sunlight.

His heart skipped a beat. There- in a lone case-

He jumped to his feet and dashed forward. “This is it! It’s Yozora! How much‽ I have lots of money!” He looked up at May, his heart swimming with joy. At last his quest was over. He dug into his wallet, pulling out large wads of cash, money he’d saved up from doing extra chores.

May gasped, holding a hand to her open mouth. “I- I’m really sorry. But that pin’s already been sold. A customer made the purchase online. She’s stopping by to pick it up soon.”

Yammer slumped over, defeated. “Oh.” He practically fell back into his chair, whole body shaking as he dug his fingers into his thighs. “I’m too late again.” He spoke so quietly that May could barely hear.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t have been of help. It sounds like this pin really means a lot to you.”

Yammer nodded. “It’s made as part of a cross promotional deal and features the main character from Verum Rex, but it’s also really good for Tin Pin Slammer. This means you’ve got lots of people going after the pin. Fans of the game, fans of Tin Pin, collectors, and its caused an unexpected demand. Now it’s incredibly rare and difficult to find because they didn’t print enough.”

May Kurokawa nodded along. Though she had no personal interest in the game, she was glad to give Yammer a chance to vent his frustrations. She felt terrible, she never meant to offer him false hope this way.

Tears welled up in his eyes. “I’m sorry, I know you probably think it’s stupid, but I wanted to get this pin to give to my-”

The front door jingled and in stepped a women dressed almost all in black. A beautiful dress fell to her knees, lace and ribbons elegantly highlighting and accentuating the dress’ beauty. She radiated grace and beauty.

Yammer fell silent, realizing that May had a customer to help.

“Hello, Princess K, your order is ready.” May held up the glass case with the Yozora pin. “I just need you to sign here.” She held out an electronic clipboard with a stylus. Somehow Princess K was able to write out a signature that would make a master calligrapher jealous.

“Thank you, very much. Princess K looked everywhere to find one of these. They’re extraordinarily rare.” Taking the pin from the case, she held it in her fingers, examining it from all angles. “The craftsmanship is remarkable. You’d almost think this was hand crafted.” She turned to Yammer, but he tried to avert his gaze.

“I hear you’ve been looking too, Yammer.” She smiled at him as she lowered herself to his level. “Princess K’s coworker and friends all said you stopped by today. They told Princess K how desperate you were and how sad it made you feel when you couldn’t find it.”

She held out the pin. “Would you like to make a deal with Princess K?”

“What- what kind of deal?”

“I heard you wanted this as a gift to Yammer,” she said plainly, breaking character. “Wanting a gift for a friend is quite a beautiful story. I know he means a lot to you. If I give this to you, promise me you’ll tell him _how much_ he means to you.”

Yammer nodded, wiping a solitary tear of joy from his eye. “I promise. Thank you, Princess K.”

She placed the pin into Yammer’s hand and smiled.

**The End**


End file.
